Sean Duffy (R-WI), unfortunately, will be allowed
to march on Labor Day. (duffy.house.gov)
Alas, the Wisconsin central labor council that initially
banned Republicans from its Labor Day parade has been forced to
reverse that decision:
The reversal by Radtke comes after Wausau Mayor Jim Tipple—who identifies as an independent—put out a statement saying the city would not co-sponsor an event that bans individuals based on party affiliation.
"The City is a co-sponsor of the Labor Day parade event, because we provided the payment for the insurance premium for the event, and we agreed to erect a stage and provide city services at no cost to the Marathon County Central Labor Council," said Tipple. "The banning of a political party from participation at any event co-sponsored by the City is against public policy and not in the best interest of all the citizens of the City of Wausau. And therefore, we encourage the event organizer to invite all interested parties, or reimburse the city for other costs."
It's a reasonable enough position for the city to take, but sad. You have to wonder if a standard that didn't mention political parties but prohibited participation by politicians with anti-worker records would be acceptable.